mlboyd20's review against another edition
4.0
The fun thing about science fiction is that it really pulls in components to stop you once in a while and just make you think. This book is a good example of that. As stated by a character in the book, society's downfall wasn't a war, it was technology. This book, while providing the reader a good story to follow, shows you the meaning and truth behind that statement.
The author gives the reader a strong female lead with Yara. You learn quickly about her home environment which helps in giving not only a face to her but also providing the material to visualize how she looks, acts, reacts and thinks. Joshua took a little longer to visualize, because honestly, at first I just didn't connect with him. He had some good attributes starting off, but with his actions and the dialogue, I just found him very vague.
The author gives you a story of those who live by the government standards, who hook up to technology to live out their fantasies, hopes and dreams and on the flip side, the rebels who feel that the government has gone too far, taken away too many personal freedoms and who refuse to live with technology the way that the New State demands of its citizens. We learn just how much that the government wants to get rid of the rebels, because they fear how the rebels, aka Undergrounders, can overturn what they have created.
This book touches on many subjects; over the top technology, war, romance between two from opposite sides of the tracks, hope, fear, secrets, etc. Some of it flows, some of it doesn't. Together though, it's strong enough to bring this world to you and take you with it through the currents.
I recommend this to readers of science fiction of any age and I also recommend this to those that are open minded to stories other than just contemporary styles. I look forward to reading more from this author and hope that she continues on with this series.
The author gives the reader a strong female lead with Yara. You learn quickly about her home environment which helps in giving not only a face to her but also providing the material to visualize how she looks, acts, reacts and thinks. Joshua took a little longer to visualize, because honestly, at first I just didn't connect with him. He had some good attributes starting off, but with his actions and the dialogue, I just found him very vague.
The author gives you a story of those who live by the government standards, who hook up to technology to live out their fantasies, hopes and dreams and on the flip side, the rebels who feel that the government has gone too far, taken away too many personal freedoms and who refuse to live with technology the way that the New State demands of its citizens. We learn just how much that the government wants to get rid of the rebels, because they fear how the rebels, aka Undergrounders, can overturn what they have created.
This book touches on many subjects; over the top technology, war, romance between two from opposite sides of the tracks, hope, fear, secrets, etc. Some of it flows, some of it doesn't. Together though, it's strong enough to bring this world to you and take you with it through the currents.
I recommend this to readers of science fiction of any age and I also recommend this to those that are open minded to stories other than just contemporary styles. I look forward to reading more from this author and hope that she continues on with this series.
thedaydreamreader's review against another edition
4.0
Read the full review on The Bookwhore Diaries
Though there are slow moments in the book, it's a good YA book to read. If you're the type who's always into usurping the corrupt and lifting up those who are in need, I think you would truly jive well with the book's message. Remote has everything that made the past year's YA books awesome, and a lot more.
Though there are slow moments in the book, it's a good YA book to read. If you're the type who's always into usurping the corrupt and lifting up those who are in need, I think you would truly jive well with the book's message. Remote has everything that made the past year's YA books awesome, and a lot more.
losapala's review against another edition
5.0
I read this entire book in two days—despite having a massively packed schedule—because once I started I couldn’t stop. I was instantly drawn into the story not only by the badass main character (who I LOVED), Wren, but also by the fascinating future world built by the author. I really like dystopian fiction anyway, but I especially appreciated that this story is different from much of what you find in the genre. I could easily see how our current culture could progress to the dystopian world of the book. People today are so addicted to technology, and that was what Remote pointed out so beautifully during the roller-coaster ride of the story: how easy it would be for our current addiction to technology to overtake us until we become literal slaves to whoever owns that technology.
I also give this book huge bonus points for having an amazing female protagonist at the center. Wren is fierce and most definitely a warrior, but she also has emotions and vulnerabilities. She’s human, not some superhero ideal of a feminine heroine. I could actually relate to her and felt like we would be friends in real life.
I have to say again that the world-building was just phenomenal. I got so caught up in the New State dystopian society and the starkly contrasting underground world of the “Grounders” (the rebel group of which Wren is a central part). The author is highly skilled at putting you right there with a sweeping big picture view, while also including the smallest of precise details.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA dystopian fiction, YA romance, or is a big fan of Hunger Games or Divergent. This one is a home run.
I also give this book huge bonus points for having an amazing female protagonist at the center. Wren is fierce and most definitely a warrior, but she also has emotions and vulnerabilities. She’s human, not some superhero ideal of a feminine heroine. I could actually relate to her and felt like we would be friends in real life.
I have to say again that the world-building was just phenomenal. I got so caught up in the New State dystopian society and the starkly contrasting underground world of the “Grounders” (the rebel group of which Wren is a central part). The author is highly skilled at putting you right there with a sweeping big picture view, while also including the smallest of precise details.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA dystopian fiction, YA romance, or is a big fan of Hunger Games or Divergent. This one is a home run.
bookbriefs's review
4.0
**You can see this full review and more at Book Briefs: http://bookbriefs.net**
Remote is the first book in the young adult sci fi/dystopian series. Although it doesn't say specifically that there will be a series, the ending led me to believe that there would at the very least be a sequel. I don't read too many young adult science fiction books with a dystopian leaning. Because they need to be really well done for me to enjoy them. World building is so, so critical to the development of the story and for whatever reason, I find myself not liking more books in this genre than others in young adult. I don't exactly know why because I really love some of them, they are just harder for me to find. I am happy to report that I found Remote to be a very enjoyable read. It certainly goes into the well done category of science fiction and dystopian books. I found the world that Lisa Acerbo created to be detailed, descriptive and well developed.
New State is a world where everyone is implanted with a micro-chip at birth and that enables them to "hook up" to their computer and experience a virtual reality that is whatever they want it to be. New State is obviously very big on government control over all aspects of their citizens lives. While I think that the hooking up idea is fascinating and I would certainly like to try it, the freedom and privacy you give up for it is not my cup of tea. But still, it was not so far off that I would say this plot is implausible. And that is the scary part. Putting that aside, I do love to read technology based dystopian books because they are so fascinating to me. It is one of the reasons that I liked Remote so much. I liked how Josh011015 was not completely sold on hooking up and was starting to question his world. It was the perfect time for Yara to enter his life and make a connection with him. That aspect of the book felt very natural and flowed great for me. I loved watching their friendship develop, and a lot of the world building details stemmed from their initial talks and meetings.
Yara is a rebel that lives underground. The rebels are the people that weren't properly chipped, so they are not "plugged in" to new state. They underground world seemed fantastical in a whole different way than the technology based world of New State. I enjoyed seeing the differences in the two worlds and watching what kinds of people they produced. Remote is a fast paced, fun science fiction tale that I think young adult dystopian and sci fi readers will really enjoy. While I do wish there was a little more information on the how and why New State initially formed, I thought the present day world building and details of New State were great. I got a wonderfully descriptive picture of what the world was like as the story was going on, and that made the whole book feel much more immersive. Remote is a very good read.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
Remote is the first book in the young adult sci fi/dystopian series. Although it doesn't say specifically that there will be a series, the ending led me to believe that there would at the very least be a sequel. I don't read too many young adult science fiction books with a dystopian leaning. Because they need to be really well done for me to enjoy them. World building is so, so critical to the development of the story and for whatever reason, I find myself not liking more books in this genre than others in young adult. I don't exactly know why because I really love some of them, they are just harder for me to find. I am happy to report that I found Remote to be a very enjoyable read. It certainly goes into the well done category of science fiction and dystopian books. I found the world that Lisa Acerbo created to be detailed, descriptive and well developed.
New State is a world where everyone is implanted with a micro-chip at birth and that enables them to "hook up" to their computer and experience a virtual reality that is whatever they want it to be. New State is obviously very big on government control over all aspects of their citizens lives. While I think that the hooking up idea is fascinating and I would certainly like to try it, the freedom and privacy you give up for it is not my cup of tea. But still, it was not so far off that I would say this plot is implausible. And that is the scary part. Putting that aside, I do love to read technology based dystopian books because they are so fascinating to me. It is one of the reasons that I liked Remote so much. I liked how Josh011015 was not completely sold on hooking up and was starting to question his world. It was the perfect time for Yara to enter his life and make a connection with him. That aspect of the book felt very natural and flowed great for me. I loved watching their friendship develop, and a lot of the world building details stemmed from their initial talks and meetings.
Yara is a rebel that lives underground. The rebels are the people that weren't properly chipped, so they are not "plugged in" to new state. They underground world seemed fantastical in a whole different way than the technology based world of New State. I enjoyed seeing the differences in the two worlds and watching what kinds of people they produced. Remote is a fast paced, fun science fiction tale that I think young adult dystopian and sci fi readers will really enjoy. While I do wish there was a little more information on the how and why New State initially formed, I thought the present day world building and details of New State were great. I got a wonderfully descriptive picture of what the world was like as the story was going on, and that made the whole book feel much more immersive. Remote is a very good read.
This review was originally posted on Book Briefs
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